Western appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1885-18??, 1887-10-22
CoNviCT-cATCHERs

CofviCT-cATCHERs.
Big Dogs Employed to Chase Runaway
Prisoners in Alabama.
There is something besides moral
suasion and good treatment on which
the lessees of the convicts at Pratt
mines rely to maintain the safe-keep-
ing of their seven hundred prisoners.
With only a high fence between the
convicts and the woods with all the
chances OF escaping the bullets from a
3 single rifle in a break for liberty, it
seems strange that more attempts are
not made. The explanation is found
IN the presence Of the big-legged, long,
cared yellow hounds which lie about
the stockade. The Pratt mines people
pride themselves on having the finest
trailers in the State if not in the entire
South. One mans time is taken in
breeding and training, and the strain
Is maintained in all its purity. These
dogs loaf about the stockade yard,
mingling with the convicts. They are
on the best terms in the world with
them. Every one of these men in
stripes might walk out of prison and
the trailers would only beat their tails
approvingly upon the ground and look
q dogs goodbye. There isn't any
thing of the watchdog instinct about
them. They are utterly worthless,
save for one thing. They are as friend
" to the stranger as to the man that
feeds them. They lie in the shade and
sleep and eat They do not even fight
among themselves. But let them be
called out and the trail be given them.
1t matters not whose trail it is.
In this connection Mr.. Simmons tells
some interesting things about follow
| ing the hounds. He has had years of
experience. .'The only difficulty" he
says, sis in the first two hundred yards
Of the chase. Itseems to take that dis
lance for the dogs to get the scent
fixed. If we put the dogs on trail, and
before they have covered the two hum
dred yards they come to where somebody
has crossed the course of the one we
are following, there is danger that they
will leave the right trail and go after the
wrong person. But when the first two
hundred yards have been covered the
chase is pretty sure. It doesn't matter
then whether many persons have
crossed the path Of the prisoner; the
dogs follow the scent without any
doubt. AS they run their blood warns
up and they grow surer.''
Mr.. Simmons was asked about the
various devices adopted to throw the
dogs off the scent. dogs of pure
breed and good training" he replied,
sit is almost impossible to throw off.
Dragging a brush behind will not do it.
| have trailed men through running
water, and even on horseback. One Of
the very few cases I have known OF
getting away was where the prisoner
jumped into q wagon. This threw the
dogs off. We have trailed prisoners
right into and through the streets OF
Birmingham. That, of course, is hard
Hundreds of people may have tramped
over the ground after the convict has
passed. On the dirt roads of the coun-
try the trail is easily followed, and in
the woods it is impossible to get away.
We ran negro through big swamp
one time. He got on mule and rode
nine miles, then got off and ran, but
the dogs followed the trail without
break.
'sThe scent which the dogs follow
must be in the feet" MIR. Simmons said
in reply to another question. s.After
that negro have just spoken of got on
the mule the dogs kept his trial by
jumping up and smelling the bushes
where his feet touched as he rode along.
Changing shoes doesn't help man
any. The dogs are not thrown off bv
that trick. The bigger ears they have
the truer they are on the trail. When.
they have run awhile they get hot and
mad. If they overtake a convict then
they will do him harm.
sit is claimed in some of the Georgia
camps that the hounds don't bite-that
they only bay when they come up with
the convict, : was suggested.
''That ism t true with the pure breed
Of trailers. They will take hold if thew
come on the man while they are hot.
and will tear him. The bites make bad
wounds; they are very apt to tester.
When we start the dogs out we follow
them just as hard as we can, to see that
they don't injure the convicts. Usually
he takes to tree. When we come up
we drive the dogs back. AS soon as
they cool off a little they are entirely
harmless
Hanging up in the stockade yard is a
queer-looking object. At a little dis
lance it might be taken for bundle OF
life preservers. It is heavily padded
suit Of clothes. Once a week, or posi-.
bly, a little oftener, convict is dressed
in the padded suit and told to 90. He
is given a two-hours' start usually.
Then the dogs are led out and shown
the trail. Away they go. twelve or
fifteen in the pack, the older hounds in
front and the pups behind, every one
Of them yelping This is dead earnest
work for the dogs, but, Of course, a
game of hare and hounds for the
trusty in the padded suit, and farce
for the officials who ride to the point
previously agreed upon for the chase to
end. Practice has reduced the chance
for escape from the dogs to consider
ably less than one in ten, and the
knowledge ofthis on the part of the